An Unusual Twist
by TheodoraM
Summary: "How can I possibly help you?" she blinked confused. "By making it right, Hermione. For my brother." Hogwarts is rebuilding after the war. The Golden Trio has scattered, and now it is up to Hermione and Cho to discover the mystery of a vision. AU. Post-War. It is a Time-Turner story, with lots of drama, romance and humour. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Dear readers, this is my first fanfic ever, and I'm anxious to see what is your opinion, so I would appreciate if you would R&R! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all rights belong to J.K Rowling, and I am merely playing with her characters c:**

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**Chapter 1**

Hogwarts was rebuilding after the rage of the war, as was everyone that participated in it. It was horrible. The damage stood out against the yellowish ancient walls of the great castle that once was brimming with joy, with the laugh of young children, pure and untouched by the pain ant darkness.

A ball was scheduled on the 1st of December, to honor the fallen heroes. Harry and Ron were both excited and sad, for the Battle made many victims among the ranks of The Light, and Cho was feeling the same overwhelming sadness caress the edges of her aching soul...

Hermione stood on the top of the Astronomy Tower watching the landscape unfold before her dark eyes. Cho and Hermione were good friends, and they have been telling each other their secrets for years...They've been through so much together, since the day they met on the Hogwarts Express. Rachel never judged her for being a muggleborn, regardless of the fact that she has been raised in a pureblood family. Many adventures marked their lives, starting in their First Year at Hogwarts, when they bonded because of their cleverness, until they battled in the Second Wizarding War.

_'Everyone has their scars'_ she mused quietly watching herself in one of the mirrors that was hanged on a wall that had a crack too big to be repaired by magic, so it was covered by a mirror that the late Headmaster Dumbledore liked.

_'But some scars can't be healed completely'_ she whispered sadly, tracing the outline of it.

'So many casualties….WHY? IT ISN'T FAIR!' she screamed furiously, hitting a wall with her fists until she heard a crack that usually it might've concerned her. But it didn't. She would do anything. Anything to stop the numbness. She slid down the wall and sat down on the cold floor, closing her eyes as a memory unfolded…"It may have escaped your notice, but life isn't fair, Miss Granger." A younger version of Professor Snape sneered down at an image of her that was crying silently…

Hermione quickly opened her eyes and watched her hands. They were stained with blood. With her blood. With Snape's. With the blood of every single person that died. She couldn't distinguish it anymore. And so suddenly she was back on the dirty floor of the Shrieking Shack trying to stop the blood from seeping from her old Professor's open wounds, seeing his dying eyes lose their light as he told Harry to take his memories. He was truly the bravest man she ever knew. He didn't deserve to die this way. And the unfairness of it all hit her hard as strangled sobs tore her throat open and racked her body, a fresh wave of tears making their way down her ashen face. She wished it was over. She wished she could've saved everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Dear Cho,_

_The Auror training is going really well, and I hope you'll join us soon.I know tomorrow is the Commemoration Ball and we'll probably see each other then, but I felt the need to write to you._

_ I __hope you are doing well, and I hope that you aren't mad on me because of that argument we had last week. Look…the things I said then…Blimey, you know they aren't real! I really love you. It was just the anger that blinded me. Hope you are happy that you returned to Hogwarts. Harry says hello to you and Hermione._

_We're looking forward to seeing you._

_Love, Ron_

Cho sighed folding the letter. She rubbed her eyes to wipe any traces of tears. It has been a really stressful week and she was tired. Sick of everything. And Ron could be a real jerk sometimes. All the nasty things he said really did hurt her, even though she didn't quite show it.

***FLASHBACK***

_'Come on Cho! I know you're lying! Just spill it already!'_

_'Ron, really, I refuse to acknowledge something that I know isn't true! This argument is so childish! Who are you to judge me based on a stupid rumor?' To say she was angry was and understatement. She never felt worse than this. Betrayal, anger, confusion and a multitude of other feelings were coursing through her veins._

_'Oh? A rumor? I saw you and Harry exiting the Room Of Requirement together and you were both looking somewhat disheveled! I can't believe you cheated on me!'_

_Cho turned her back to him and took a deep breath 'So? That doesn't mean we slept together.'_

_"You're lying. I know you are! You are such a bitch! I can't believe I even told you I love you!" He exclaimed angrily and slammed the door as he exited the room, leaving Cho alone to think over their argument._

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Perhaps the chaos will give birth to order. Perhaps things will get better before they get worse. Cho got up and dusted off her clothes. She glanced around the Great Hall. Almost no one was sitting around there. Everyone was busy doing something. The majority of teachers and students were redecorating and preparing the Hall for the upcoming Ball. Cho rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the idea. A Ball. It's like celebrating the fact that people died. Bored, she went for a walk around the castle.

Her cinnamon-colored eyes drank in the landscape. The gentle moonlight fell upon her pretty porcelain face, lighting up her features, the perfect pink lips, slender nose and beautiful eyes with long eyelashes, her raven locks and her perfect silhouette shone bright in the dark, as she ghosted on the Castle's lands, like a bride walking down the aisle, the light creating a perfect halo around her. She looked like an angel fallen from Heaven.

Her thoughts drifted to the NEWTS and to her future. Hermione also came back to Hogwarts to complete her Seventh Year so they could take their exams and plan their future. Harry and Ron refused to return, for they thought it was a waste of time, since they all got their Orders Of Merlin 1st Class, and Kingsley allowed them to choose any job they wanted, so the two of them chose to be Aurors.

Many things happened after the war, but she never expected to get together with Ron. The misery that followed Cedric's death was unbearable, and the attraction she felt toward Harry was confusing. But then again, she has never been in a relationship, not with Harry, not even with Cedric.

After surviving the Battle, she and Ron became closer, and one thing leading to another, they became a couple. Unexpected, and in retrospect, she mused now, reckless.

As for a career, Cho didn't know what to choose yet, so she decided it was better to wait another year and complete her education until she got an idea of what she wanted to do.

It was a chilly night. The breeze was gently chasing the loneliness away, combing through the grass and caressing the leaves of the trees. Sadness overwhelmed Cho as she sat on a rock by the lake watching her reflection. The war has made too many victims.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As I said, this will be kinda AU, given the fact that I kept some of the characters alive and some I didn't. Eh, well, enjoy chapter 3 and don't forget to R&R!**

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CHAPTER 3

'I can't believe you still want to take that rubbish class!' Hermione exclaimed astonished, after seeing Cho's timetable.

'Yeah, well I like it. And since when does Miss Hermione Granger consider something related to school "rubbish" ?' Cho retorted rolling her eyes at Hermione's face.

'Divination IS rubbish. You can basically get an O in the NEWTS for nothing,' She shrugged ' I prefer actual studying.'

'I'll let you know that I study, and I'm really good at Divination! And the fact that Trelawney persuaded me to take it again this year had to do with talent, not ass-kissing' Cho replied, empathizing the word "ass-kissing" and looking at Lavander, who sat across them, eating her breakfast and chatting happily with Padma and Parvati about their latest conquests.

Hermione laughed shortly and then sobered. 'So…today's the Ball." She stated.

'Yeah.' Cho nodded eating a mouthful of salad.

'Are you going with anyone?' Hermione inquired lightly, quirking and eyebrow at her companion's indifferent behavior towards the upcoming event.

'Um. No. Actually I don't know yet. Nobody asked me. Though it is highly improbable that someone will ask me now, on the day of the Ball,' she paused. 'You know what? I want to look nice tonight, even if I won't go out with anyone. I want to feel good. I want to forget about all the worries and problems and enjoy myself….And you? Are you going with a special someone?' Cho asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

'No.' Hermione replied brusquely. It was now Cho's turn to throw a questioning glance at her colleague's evasive answer, but Hermione ignored it and decided to change the topic by asking another question. 'Have you thought over McGonagall's offer? '

Cho sighed. She had. 'Yeah….I thought it was best to accept the proposal since Transfiguration was one of my favorite classes…I do feel weird refusing Flitwick's offer though. He was my Head Of House. I mean, is.….So behold! I, the Transfiguration Mistress come to serve you, beloved Hogwarts ' She laughed mockingly.

'That's wonderful Cho!' Hermione exclaimed happily hugging her friend tightly. 'And since we're on the subject, you are looking at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.' she smirked.

'Defense? Really Hermione? I thought that position was cursed…' Cho contemplated out loud. Then as a realization she exclaimed 'Oh! I didn't mean anything by that! It's great that you got the job! I think you'll be brilliant!' she smiled.

'Yeah, well, it's not like we had a choice….' Hermione frowned, looking at her reflection in the coffee cup. She look tired and her face was sunken, her cheekbones stood out prominently and there were bags under her eyes. She glanced towards Cho, studying her expression, that was a combination of concentration and sadness. She chuckled inwardly. That micro-expression class she took in summer before her Third year really helped her read people. Oh, those times when the death and pain didn't touch them…

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" she questioned her friend.

"Couldn't. I was thinking about everything that happened to us until now. About our future. Is this really a good choice? We can't even control our choices!" Cho exclaimed angrily. "What if I didn't want to be a teacher? What if I wanted to go live in the Muggle World? What would've they done then?" Hermione placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her, for they were attracting the attention of many students.

"It's just part time Cho, and we do get a say in what classes we want to teach and what we want to pass…Well, at least you do. I need to teach every class, because after the War everyone was scared of that position…" Hermione sighed. "I know it's not the ideal aftermath that we expected, but we must adjust to it….At least let's just do this to help McGonagall. You know how hard it was for her after all this.."

It was true. Everyone struggled with rebuilding, especially the Hogwarts staff. They needed replacements and apprentices for they didn't have enough energy and resources to continue doing it as before. McGonagall, now a Headmistress, has offered them each a job at Hogwarts, as teachers.

While Minerva, Flitwick and Trelawney fought over Cho, for she had "the great gift of a professional clairvoyant" as Sybill said and "extraordinary abilities in Transfiguration" as their great Headmistress said and also "a knack for Charms" as Flitwick proclaimed , Hermione took the most avoided job, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Slughorn took potions again, and at Hermione's request he took her to be his apprentice. Hermione felt honored to have the opportunity to study this art in depth, though she would have preferred learning under Professor Snape's wing. But she was also sure that he would turn in his grave if he found out she, the little annoying know-it-all got to teach some of his classes.

Cho on the other hand wasn't that happy with this turn of events. She wanted to do something else with her life, and in her life planning the phrase "teaching stupid kids" was certainly not there. She was tired of hearing about the Auror training, and how Harry and Ron got famous…She wanted that too. She wanted to taste the fame and be satisfied with her life. She didn't want to be a side-kick, she wanted her own story. But not yet….she had "responsibilities" at the moment, so she needed to postpone her wishes.

Finally, Cho sighed "Yeah, you're probably right…we should do this for McGonagall…after all, she did a lot of things for us too….Anyway…I should head to Trelawney's…she asked for my help at predicting whatever McGonagall asked her…"

"Okay then, see you later in our room, my dear colleague," Hermione smiled at her "Have fun predicting the weather and the amount of rock cakes that Hagrid will bake today."

Cho got up and took her backpack. "Pfff. Very funny, Hermione. You stay here and enjoy playing with those scrambled eggs that you've been poking around for the last half an hour."

"I will Cho. See ya."

"Bye."

After watching Cho get up and leave Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long year. She glanced at the clock and frowned when she saw how late it was. Three o'clock. Five more hours and they had to go put on some "pretty clothes and make-up" as the other girls said.

They don't understand the true meaning of this Ball. It isn't just a party. It's supposed to be an reminder of what we had and what we lost. Of all the darkness that we went through and survived. But the fact that we are throwing this said "party" doesn't mean that we'll going to get the people we lost back. It means that we are going to relive the pain. That's what people don't understand.

Hermione got up and left the table, heading for the dungeons and glancing across the Great Hall as she did so. The breakfast remained untouched.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As she headed towards the dungeons, Hermione observed the students wandering on the halls. Some were studying, some were lazily chatting about their plans for this year and about the Ball. A variety of subjects drifted across the surrounding walls of the castle. McGonagall let the surviving students and their families stay at Hogwarts. Her attention was elsewhere when she bumped into someone, and she fell on her bottom.

Embarrassed, she got up and dusted herself off "Oh! I-I'm terribly sorry! I wasn't paying attention! Oh God I-" she said uncomfortable and a glance at the person's face made her stumble for words. Platinum blond hair and an aristocratic marble face with cold grey eyes stared her down. Hermione painfully cleared her throat "M-Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

Draco snickered at her insecure behavior. Lately, he could make everyone stammer whenever they saw him. "Mudblood," he sneered. "Watch where you're fucking going. I'm not in the mood to feel your dirty hands on my impeccable attire. " he brushed away an invisible speck of dust from his clothes, walking away.

Hermione sighed. She was used to being bullied by him since day one. Though the fact that he only called her "mudblood" and walked away surprised her. He usually stayed for throwing more insulting comments. She shook her head sadly and continued walking toward the Potion Classroom.

Once she reached the old wooden door she gently twisted the knob and slipped quietly inside the room. It smelled of potions, herbs, ingredients and hard work. Professor Slughorn asked her to clean the old office and organize the stores, so everything will be in place to start the apprenticeship. She considered refusing, asking for someone else to do it, but she couldn't. She couldn't stand the thought that someone would do the cleaning by magic, or worse, the house eleves would be assigned to do it.

Approaching the old desk in the front of the class, she let her hands roam across the aging surface of the wood, the dark ebony that borne the burden of so many years. Just as someone else she knew. The dust piled on every piece of furniture in the room, and the air in the room was damp and she choked on it, coughing until tears sprang to her eyes. This room desperately screamed for attention.

Rolling her eyes at the fact that Dumbledore took it upon himself to charm some windows in the dungeons, for the dreaded Potion Master preferred darkness and the late Headmaster didn't agree with his preferences , she took a step toward the windows and opened them, letting the fresh air invade the room. She took a broken quill and a piece of parchment and transfigured them into a piece of cloth and a basin.

"Aguamenti," she whispered pointing her wand at the empty basin, filling it with a jet of hot water. She pinned her hair and put her wand behind her ear, heading toward the storeroom, to evaluate the damage and the work that must be done.

Entering the room she was horrified. Gone was all the order Professor Snape kept. The only thing left behind only chaos and dirt. Broken shelves were piled one on another and dripping potions were found everywhere you looked. She coughed at the fumes that were released by the ingredients, and uselessly tried to nonverbally cast an air-freshening charm. Black dots formed at the edges of her vision and her throat closed like it was squeezed by a strong vice-like grip.

"No…no…."Hermione breathed stumbling backwards and trying to exit the room but the door was closed behind her. She fought for oxygen but it was futile. Snape's voice drifted around in her head "….a Bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons….". Seeing the life-saving little stone on a shelf nearby she reached for it with trembling fingers, trying to grab it, but she didn't have enough energy..The darkness was overcoming her vision and she slowly fell, her skull hitting the granite floor with a nauseating 'crack', and her eyes closed, for the pain was unbearable.

The room was deafening silent, and the only move in the dark dungeons was made by the wine-red blood that was slithering onto the floor like a crimson snake in the dimness of the chamber.

Cho hummed quietly while she roamed on the Hogwarts' halls, wondering what in Merlin's name would Trelawney want with her today. The clock showed that it was nearing 6 o'clock and there were only two more hours until the Ball. She hoped she would finish the work within this hour and then have time to go and change into something else more appropriate for the occasion.

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Knocking on the door of Trelawney's private quarters she mentally "congratulated" herself for making Head Girl this year. McGonagall chose her and Hermione as a reward for all the sacrifices and effort made at the time of the War, and she said that Gryffindor House needed two leaders like them.

A perk of being made Head Girl meant going in and out of any teacher's quarters if you wanted to talk to them, and it was more comfortable for the both parts to meet like this, rather than head all the way to the Divination Classroom.

The door opened revealing the familiar face of the Divination teacher, her expression concerned and her clothes disheveled "Oh! My dear, come in! I just put some water in the kettle and I'm waiting for it to boil. No, no, no, don't give me that look, you know that applying magic to it could ruin the whole process of tasseography!"

Cho nodded, though she inwardly rolled her eyes. Gods, this woman is fretting so much over the process of boiling the water. "Yes Professor, I know. We must be patient with the boiling . It is a critical step in this extraordinary process." She quoted "Fortune-telling for advanced classes" in a dull voice.

"I'm glad you agree with me. And stop with the formalities, we've known each other for years now dear. Call me Sybill." She patted my shoulder lightly "Oh look! The water's boiling! Let's get to work now, shall we?"

She gestured for Cho to take a seat while she threw some tea leaves into two cups, chanting a mantra that sounded much like this, and making all kinds of signs above the cups : "_Spiritus sanctus! Tua Numina Sancta super nos in his temporibus ! Tua Lux excitare et alveo muneribus nostris ita e nos potuit laude vero Nomen Tuum! In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti! Amen!"_

She poured the water in the cups and then handed one to her "Here you go. When you want to start drinking it think about the future. Our future. Minerva wanted to see if we are truly out of the danger zone."

"So…just the future?" Cho asked, a little uncertain. Usually they were given more information for an accurate prediction.

"Yes. Just the future." Sybill smiled.

"No pressure then, huh?" Cho muttered nervously. She held the cup close to her chest so she could enjoy the warmth of the tea. The herbal vapors lifted in the air and tickled her nose as she breathed deeply the calming scent. Taking a lungful of air, she took a sip of the hot tea, feeling the heat warm up her whole being. "This is going to be fun" she thought sarcastically, as relief flooded her system with each mouthful of tea that she drank.

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**A/N: Okay, so my Latin is kind of rusty and I don't know if I wrote correctly, but anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: John is my OC, and he's Madame Pomfrey's ****assistant c:**

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Chapter 5

Cho exhaled as she finished the tea and put the cup down on the table, so Trelawney could see it better. Sybill smiled at her and took the cup to inspect it.

"Oh…I see….I see a man with a rose...that means a deepening of the true love you are now feeling for someone , " she waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Cho blushed. "Are you in a relationship with someone, my dear?"

Cho glanced down at her hands. What she and Ron had couldn't possibly be called a relationship, no matter how generous you were in your appreciation. "Um, no, not really." She responded embarrassed.

"Hmmm…a new romance then…..or a mysterious visitor….Oh! But I also see a flag…..this means danger….and this man…This man is danger…..And an hourglass….an hourglass! The time is running out and this dangerous man is approaching!" she exclaimed, dropping the cup on the floor and grabbing her cloak that was abandoned on a nearby chair. "You must continue without me dear! Take the crystal ball and use it if you need it! I must go and tell Minerva what we've found out about!"

Then she stopped in her tracks and glanced toward the clock that stood on the bookshelf. It was almost 7 o'clock. "Oh…I didn't realize it was so late! If you want, you can head down to the Great Hall to partake at the Ball." She heaved a sigh. "We'll talk after I shall consult with the Headmistress."

Cho was confused about this abrupt leave of the Divination teacher. She glanced at the broken china cup that was shattered on the floor. Taking out her wand she pointed it at the remaining pieces and with a whispered 'Reparo' the cup fixed itself. She lifted it up and glanced at the fragments of tea leaves that resembled the silhouette of a man with a rose. "True love…" she breathed gazing at that little pattern in the cup.

Laying it down she headed toward the mantelpiece that held crystal balls of all sizes. She chose a medium one and sat in a high-backed soft, comfy chair. Taking a deep breath she started chanting the incantations she learned and stared at the inside of the crystal sphere. When the mist she expected to see failed to appear she stopped chanting and furrowed her brows. "Why doesn't it show up?" she wondered looking suspiciously at the object in her hands.

She tried concentrating more, but it didn't work. She huffed frustrated and laid back against the soft pillows speculating this unexpected turn of events. "Maybe I lost my gift?" she asked hesitantly gazing at the crystal globe, as if expecting an answer from it.

Suddenly in the depths of the crystal she saw an image of a black haired man, with pale skin and striking dark eyes that were looking straight at her. "What the he-" she started, but was interrupted as the man threw her a mischievous smile and laughed mockingly at her, while the cold, soothing temperature of the globe raised a few degrees and almost burned her hands.

She shoved the globe away from her and got up from the chair. She could hear the rush of that blood was pumping in her ears as she watched the sphere roll around on the creaking wood of the floor. This never happened before, no. Never had she saw an image as clear as this, and the fact that in the dim light her teacher's quarters she did, frightened her to no end.

Hesitantly she approached the crystal, crouching so she could see it better. Cautiously extending a hand to touch the surface of it she noted that it wasn't hot anymore. Nor did she see the figure of that person again. This was indeed a mystery. She lifted the globe and dusted it off, placing it at its rightful place.

It was time to prepare for the Ball.

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The smell of antiseptics and alcohol woke her up. Hermione tried to open her eyes, but the lights were too bright and she winced from the pain that this small gesture caused.

"Shh, it's okay now, we'll dim the lights in a second dear. John!"

"Yes ma'am. I'm on it."

The pain subsided and Hermione cautiously opened her eyes, glancing at the two silhouettes hovering above her. One she recognized as Madame Pomfrey, and the second was of a tall boy with pallid skin. She didn't know him.

"How-ahh" Hermione tried speaking, but the hoarseness of her throat stopped her. She felt like she's been hit with a truck, or she drank so much that a killer hangover was torturing her now.

"Here, drink this." The boy sneaked a hand around her neck to prop her up so she could drink what was in the vial. Hermione could see his features better now. He had messy hair and eyes that matched his hair color, thin lips that were curled in a sneer and marble-white skin. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to drink the potion.

Hermione sniffed the vial suspiciously, and once she was certain that the liquid inside was really just a diluted pain potion she gulped it almost all at once.

The boy smirked at her. "You know you could've done that from the beginning, right? It's not like I'll poison you right here, in front of Madame Pomfrey." He withdrew his arm and stood straight, almost like a statue, all the playfulness gone from his face.

"John, you know that I don't tolerate this jokes" Madam Pomfrey scolded him, pursing her lips. Then her face softened. "You can escort Hermione to her room. I'm sure the poor dearie will sure appreciate your help." She patted his back. "As for you miss," She glanced at me "I don't care what you thought you were doing, but entering Severus' storeroom like that? You know you could've died there if this young man didn't found you when he did."

Hermione almost rolled her eyes but she stopped herself in time. "Yeah…Thank you….and I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey. I'll be more careful the next time."

"The next time? Young lady, there won't be a next time! The stores will be cleaned by someone specialized in the domain. You will enter that room only when it will be cleared. I don't know what Horace thought when he sent you down there, but I'm sure I'll have a word with him!" Madame Pomfrey was fuming.

"You'll never en-WHAT!" Hermione exclaimed. "NO! You can't do that!" She pushed the covers off herself and tried to get out, but John held her in place.

"Miss Granger! " Madame Pomfrey shouted. "Lie down immediately! In your condition you just can't-"

"No! Let me GO!" She thrashed against John's grip and stood up, silently summoning her wand. She felt her wobbly knees almost give up, but she struggled to stand straight. Madame Pomfrey was heading toward her but she pointed her wand at her "No! Don't you dare! You can't do this to me! Those stores will be treated with the cold cruelty of someone that considers it a JOB! How can you do this to Professor Snape? What would he say?" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "I'm tired of everyone acting like Harry Potter is the greatest hero when all he is it's an insolent-"

"MISS GRANGER!" Madame Pomfrey cried, outraged at the girl's attitude.

"-bastard! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of everything!" she yelled, stumbling backwards toward the door, wand in hand, watching the shocked faces of Madame Pomfrey and the boy named John, whom she had never seen before in her whole life.

Feeling the wooden door against her back she Disillusioned herself and bolted out of the room and ran as fast as she could toward the Potions Classroom, the dizziness threatening to overcome her as her lungs fought to take more oxygen with each step she took.

Finally reaching the room she desired, she opened the door and succumbed to the despair that gripped her heart, sobbing and reaching for support to the wooden bench that she sat on so many times in the course of these seven painful years.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

When Cho reached the rooms she and Hermione shared, she glanced around, expecting to see her roommate somewhere, preparing for the event that was taking place tonight, but she didn't see anyone in the desolate rooms.

Thinking that her colleague was already at the Ball she entered the bathroom for a shower and took her time soaking under the hot spray of water, feeling all the built up tension of these previous weeks of hard work melt away, her muscles slowly relaxing and her body losing its tense posture.

Getting out of the shower she looked at her reflection into the mirror. "I look good" she mused drying herself with a green towel that was hanging around there. One of Hermione's annoying habits was buying a lot of green colored things. Despite the fact that she was sorted into Gryffindor, she was a huge fan of that bloody color. "Maybe she needs to be re-sorted" Cho thought rolling her eyes at her roommate's taste in colors.

Opening her wardrobe she chose an empire floor-length black dress, thinking it was appropriate for the event. Heading down to the Great Hall, Cho thought about the black haired man with dark, haunting eyes, that she saw in the depths of the crystal ball. The nagging thought about her colleague ghosted around her mind, and for a moment she stopped and wondered "Where is she?". Deciding that Hermione could take care of herself, even if she wasn't at the Ball,Cho continued walking around the beautifully decorated Hall, scanning the room for the familiar faces of the people she wanted to see.

She glided elegantly around the room, girls turning to compliment her and boys shooting her appreciative glances. While she walked, a hand reached to pat her back.

"Cho! You look wonderful!" Ginny gushed over her. "I hope that you and Ron will get back together tonight!" she said, sending her friend a suggestive look.

"Yeah….you look wonderful as well Ginny. Blue fits you." Cho complimented her blue velvety knee length dress. The redhead blushed and mumbled something about blue being Harry's favorite color. Then she excused herself, claiming that she was in the need of something to drink, and inquiring if Cho desired something some wine.

Cho shook her head, smiling at the girl's obvious embarrassment. People that are in love tend to get very flustered at the mention of the object of their desires, and they provided great amusement to the more down-to-earth ones.

Picking a glass of champagne and sighing, she sat at one of the tables that have been moved toward the walls, to offer more space in the middle of the room. Soft music was floating all around, the couples were dancing, and Cho felt alone. The charmed ceiling was reflecting a sky full of stars hovering around their heads, and Cho found herself trying to remember and identify the constellations that were shown.

"Care to dance?" a masculine voice called behind her.

Startled, she almost dropped the glass of champagne that she was holding, abruptly turning her head to see who talked to her, and remained dazed when in her field of vision appeared a young man in a tuxedo, with raven locks, grinning mischievously, his charcoal eyes glinting.

* * *

After what seemed an eternity, Hermione got up and dusted herself off. "Great, I'm in a hospital gown," she thought angrily, wiping her tear stains. "I just ran through the entire castle in nothing but a piece of cloth. Good thing I was at least Disillusioned." Walking in the front of the Potion Classroom she propped up on the lecturer's desk, contemplating her latest actions.

Quiet footsteps outside the door alerted her that someone was coming, and moments later, the door creaked open to reveal the grim expression of the man she met in the Hospital Wing.

Holding her breath she prayed to whoever was listening to her that her shimmering form wouldn't attract his attention to the place where she was hidde-

"I know that you are here" his voice broke the tense silence.

Sucking in a deep breath, Hermione aging wood, almost begging it for support. John walked slowly across the room, and with every step he took toward the front of the class her panic raised. He kept walking until he reached the desk, so close that they were almost actually touching. Hermione could only watch, frozen , as he took out his wand and pointed it at her head, whispering quietly "Finite Incantatem!".

The cold, melting sensation of the spell which rolled against her skin and the close proximity to the man made her shiver. Her wide brown eyes met his cold black ones and they stared at each other, the air around them crackling with electricity.

* * *

"I'm going insane!" Cho whispered. "Wh-who are you?" she stared at the stranger's face with a shocked expression.

"Well, that is for you to find out." He shot her a charming smile, bowing to kiss her hand in a gentlemanly way.

"Wha-who-how?" Cho stuttered.

"It's quite simple, you see, I am jus-"

"Hey Cho!" a voice shouted behind Cho frightening her. She turned her head to see Ron and Harry running towards her. Ron hugged her tightly "It's so good to see you baby" he said, smiling down at her confused face.

"Yeah, just wait a minute… um, they are my frie-" she turned in the young man's direction, but the person she was addressing was missing. "What the hell." she muttered confused, scanning the Great Hall for the boy.

"Cho, are you alright? Me and Harry, we're right here. See?" he gestured to the both of them.

"It's Harry and I, Ron. Not "Me and Harry". Plus, I was looking for someone I just met and I don't know where he went…." She sighed. "Well. Doesn't matter. It's good to see you Harry" she smiled at him, hugging him lightly.

"You too, Cho. How's being back at Hogwarts after all that happened? And where's Hermione? Wasn't she supposed to be here as well?" Harry asked her, with a concerned expression.

"I don't know where she is. Knowing her, she probably went for a walk in the library. That's where she was headed earlier"Cho shrugged, and while she proceeded to tell Harry about how things were going around here she noticed Ron's expression change to one of boredom, so she asked them how's the Auror training going.

Happy that they were finally on a more interesting subject he started telling Cho about the case they were working on this week. A muggle found dead in a desolate village that was usually quiet. Cho pretended to pay attention to whatever Harry and Ron were babbling about, but she noticed that her focus was solely on finding the mysterious man in the sea of people that were dancing happily, enjoying themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"H-how did you know I was here?" Hermione whispered with a tense voice.

"Simple. It was the only logical place where you could've gone after that nervous breakdown in the Hospital Wing. It's the sense of madness that brought you here." he replied coldly.

"I never meant to disturb you or Madame Pomfrey…I suppose I acted rash, but I couldn't stand the thought that…" she let her voice trail off.

"It is indeed a shame that this place was left to waste away, as its owner." John started to pace around the room, observing the dust flying in the air.

The statement disturbed Hermione, and her mind was filled of memories of the battle. Guilt overwhelmed her, and even though she wanted to reply, her words died in her throat.

An awkward silence settled in the room. Hermione didn't know what to make of the man in front of her, she never saw him in her life, and yet, he seemed to be familiar. Maybe he was a senior student when she first came at Hogwarts? Maybe he worked at the Ministry before he came here as Madame Pomfrey's assistant?

"So…um..I never saw you here before.." she started uncomfortably.

"No, I wouldn't have expected you to."

His words unnerved her. He made her feel like she was doing a bad thing by talking to him.

"And…did you study at Hogwarts?"

"No."

"Oh."

Another awkward pause.

Hermione shifted uneasily and decided that it was better to leave, than to spend more time with this man. He seemed dangerous. "Look, I don't know you, and it's probably better to leave before I embarrass myself any further." She turned her back on him.

"You should've thought about that before turning your back to me." He replied.

Hermione stopped in her tracks, realizing that she still wore that bloody hospital gown. Mortified, she turned to face John. He was standing with his back to her, studying some cracks in the wall near the blackboard, and on the desk she was propped on earlier was a stack of clothes, with a wand on top of them.

She approached them apprehensively, keeping her eyes on the man's back. He brought her wand back, so he couldn't possibly mean her harm, right?

As if hearing her thoughts he started talking in an amused tone, and she was sure he was smirking.

"No, I do not want to hurt you, and if I wanted that, do you think you would've been breathing now? It would be advised to change in your clothes," He paused. "Impressive performance with that nonverbal Disillusionment charm."

Hermione took her things, and Transfigured a nearby desk into a dressing partition and started to change in silence. When she was finished she decided to ask the question that burned in her mind since she started to talk to this man.

"Who are you?"

He finally turned to her and shot her a sardonic smile.

"I am truly surprised the little know-it-all doesn't know the answer to this question."

Hermione furrowed her brow. The resemblance was uncanny. But it couldn't be..

"You're-Are you related to Professor Snape?" she whispered in a meek voice.

"Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger."

Hermione was shocked. "But….what are you doing here?"

John's smile faded, and his face became stern once again. He circled the desk and came to a halt in front of her.

"I came here to ask you for a favor, Miss Granger."

"What? Me? How can I possibly help you?" she blinked confusedly.

He took her hand and held it in his. She felt something smooth and a little heavy fall in her palm. He let go, and she glanced at the object. The shiny Time-Turner glinted in the dim light of the dungeons.

"By making it right, Hermione. For my brother."


End file.
